I don't think any of you would disagree that we, as people, need friends. That's not news to us, right? Even before the COVID pandemic, there was an epidemic that medical professionals were beginning to recognize based around this: loneliness. Even before the pandemic, loneliness had become a health epidemic. You can guess what the COVID pandemic did to the loneliness epidemic. Do some simple googling and you'll see some scary stats.
God knows this about us. He knew it about David. Read through 1 Samuel 23:13-18. You'll see a David running from stronghold to stronghold running away from Saul, unable to find help or safety anywhere. Yet, you'll also see that Saul couldn't find him no matter how hard he looked. And we know why. God wouldn't let Saul find David.
But Jonathan did find David. And as a true biblical friend, Jonathan strengthened David in the promises of God. He didn't tell him any news of the world, or about his father, Saul's, whereabouts. He just reminded him of the things God had promised him. That's friendship- bound in the promises of God.
I wish I could promise that I will always be that friend for you. I'll try to be there in your wildernesses, I'll try with all my heart to love you perfectly in Jesus' name, but I know all too well that I won't be perfect. None of us can be.
But we do have a perfect friend. A friend who sought us in the wildernesses of our lives. One who pursued us at great personal cost to himself. One who teaches us and reminds us that everything is going to be so much more than ok. His name is Jesus. Can we revel in that together?
